The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:1-5: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” In writing this exhortation to the Ephesian disciples, Paul acknowledged that the time was quickly coming when issues like greed, pride, envy, prejudice and dissention from the pure doctrines of Christ would seep into the Church and destroy many congregations. These divisive and destructive vices would be the greatest enemies of the Church in the 1st century.
Seeing the danger of this situation, Paul implored the brethren to be of one mind and of one purpose, united in the faith and in fellowship, even as there is but one body. Given the presence of so many religious bodies in the world, such a declaration may seem strange, but this is undoubtedly the clear teaching of the Scriptures. The singularity of the Lord’s body is an idea repeated several times throughout the New Testament. Romans 12:5: “so we, being many, are one body in Christ…” 1 Corinthians 10:17: “For we, though many, are one bread and one body…” 1 Corinthians 12:12: “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” What is this body? Paul says in Ephesians 1:22-23: “And [God] put all things under [Christ’s] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body…” The body is the Church and according to Paul there is only one.
Is this the way it is in the religious world? Not at all. The world is full of churches, full of denominations and all varieties of religious factions, all claiming to be or be part of the one true Church. Can every church be the church? Not according the Bible. Remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 1: “Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ 13 Is Christ divided?” The answer, of course, is no. The body of Christ does not have divisions. Just are surely as there is one God, one Redeemer, and one Spirit, the Lord has only one people and one body. There can only be one Church.
Biblical Precedent
This principle, that the Lord has only one people and one true Church, is somewhat unsettling, but it’s certainly not an idea unique to the New Testament. Beginning with the calling of Abraham and moving forward through the entire Bible there has always been just one people and one way of salvation. When the Lord redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery he opened one way across the Red Sea one time. There was one tabernacle and one temple. There was one Promised Land and one Holy City, Jerusalem. He chose one people with one promise and gave them one Law. There is now one plan of salvation and one savior who died on the cross one time. Like the Apostle Paul said, there is “One mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ…” (1 Timothy 2:5). In the words of the Apostle Peter, there is “no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus himself is the one head and has but one body and one people to whom he provided one way of salvation and established one institution, the one true Church.
Every Body?
It’s a startling fact, but still a fact we all have to face – not every church is the Church. In fact, if we believe the words of Jesus, we might even be so bold to say that most religious bodies are not the true body. Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 7: 13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Though we may find many religious bodies in the world, even many “Christian” bodies, not every body is the body. Not every church is the Lord’s Church.
Why so many churches?
This present situation is unsettling given our religious landscape, yet it’s hardly a situation unique to our generation. It’s a story that started only a few years after the church began. In 2 Thessalonians 2 the Apostle Paul explained that there would be a “falling away” or literally, a “defection from truth”, turning away from the pure doctrines of Christ.
What happened? In what way was there a falling away from Christ? There wasn’t some massive upheaval among the brethren. There was no civil war in the Church. The Church wasn’t overrun by Bible-burning atheist. This defection from truth happened quickly yet subtly, and all in the name of Christ. Remember what Paul said to the Galatian church, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” They believed in God, they believed in Christ, but still they were lost. How so? Later in the book Paul explained more precisely how this church had lost its place in God’s grace. Galatians 5:4: “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” They believed in Jesus as their savior, yet they also believed that elements of the Mosaic Law were still useful and even binding in the Church.
The change was simple and subtle, yet it was enough for these people in the early church to lose their salvation. It wasn’t a different gospel that caused these people to fall; it was a perverted form of the gospel of Christ. Many churches that were once part of the Church fell away. They still called themselves “Christians”, they still went to “church”, yet in reality they were no longer Christians at all. Like Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven…” One true Church becomes many false churches when the truth is changed.
Which Body?
Christ came to Earth one time, he died one time, he established one Church, he died for one Church, and he will save one Church. This is the message from Genesis through Revelation that God offers one way of salvation and has only one body. If only one, which one? Which Church is the right Church?
In the same place that the Paul teaches that there is but one body (Ephesians 4) he also describes some of the common characteristics that members of this body will share. Among these “ones” he mentions that the one body has one faith. What is this faith? The Bible explains.
One Faith
The one faith is not one belief, but many beliefs that make up the whole doctrine of Christ’s Church. So what are these beliefs? How do we know what the church should look like and what it should do? According to the Bible, the faith of the one true Church is discovered in the teachings of the Apostles found throughout the New Testament. Before Jesus left the Earth he gave his Twelve Apostles a special responsibility that he gave to no one else. Speaking to the Apostles, he says in Matthew 16: 19: “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Later, just moment before he ascended into heaven, Jesus gave the Apostles this commission in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” When the Church had been established in Acts 2:42 it’s said that the early disciple “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…”
The one true Church is not built on any faith or any doctrine; it’s described in the Bible as being faithful to the teaching of the Apostles that came from Christ himself. In the beginning there was one body, when the Church had one common faith, and made a mutual effort to follow carefully after the Apostles doctrine. One body became many bodies when that one faith was abandoned. If a church doesn’t look like the Church in the Bible, if it’s not carefully following the design laid down by Christ and his Apostles, there’s a good chance that church isn’t the Church.
Once you’ve found Christ make certain to also find the one true Church.
Thanks, Great article ! ! !Would you say that the operation of the mamifrestations; speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, and prophecy are the foundation of the first century Church. The gift of holy spirit on the day of penntecost sure had a great impact. Even Paul spoke in tongues, he excersised all nine manifestations, the gift of holy spirit, from God, who is Holy Spirit.
I’d like to learn more about Grace. What is it? I know . . . God’s unmerrited favor . . . . . what does that mean?
@William Thanks for your interest and input on the article, glad you found it useful. We are always greatful to hear from like-minded men and women seeking spiritual insight.
I appreciate your questions, and I think the first, about the use of spiritual gifts, is especially relevent to this topic. The legitimacy of the gospel upon which the Church was built was not delivered to the world in uncertainty. The gospel and the Church were very new ideas to much of the world in the 1st century. Why would anyone believe such radical teachings? Spiritual gifts seem to been at least part of the answer. Spirutal gifts were used to provide the complete will of God in the absence of the completed New Testament (1 Corinthians 13:8-10), and secondly to legitmize the teachings of the apostles and other first century Christians (Heb 2:1-4). This idea of legitimizing the gospel is even used by Jesus when he describes the reason for his miracles. In Mark 2:9-12 the Lord explains that he healed the lame man not necessarily because of the inherent good of healing, but because by healing him physically Christ also confirmed his abiility to save spiritually. The same reasoning applies to the use of spiritual gifts by the Apostles and other early converts – they existed to prove the truth of the gospel they preached and to show the legitimacy of the Christ’s Church. With the Bible complete and the gospel adequately legitimized these gifts have rightly ceased, just as Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 explained they would.
Concerning grace, I’m glad you ask. As you mentioned, God’s grace is in fact his unmerrited favor, at least in the sense that his favor is not earned by our own doings. For your personal studies, I think two passages in particular would be good ground on which to build a biblical understanding of grace: Ephesians 2:8-10 explains that God’s salvation is not earned by works or any other human element; it is a gift given by the grace, or favor, of God. Still, though, the passage also emphasizes that a bona fide Christian is in fact a faithful worker in the Kingdom. Grace in this sense is the ultimate means by which we obtain salvation, its the reason God even offers salvation, yet it does not eliminate the need for faithful obedience. A similar passage is Titus 2:11-14. If you’d like to read more about Faith, Works, and Grace all working together, you might consider another article I wrote for this blog entitled “Faith and Works”. Here’s the URL: http://www.onetruechurch.net/author/tad/page/11/ I hope you find it useful! Don’t hesitate to direct more questions my way!
In Truth,
Tad
Wow ! ! Thanks Again.Another great message and teaching and learning. I’m beginning to understand much, although there are something missing, that I do not understand.
All gifts from God are Spiritual. Grace, unearned but given to all whom rightly divide and believe and follow His Word.
God Word does not change, it the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
With that said, I do not to agree with you entirely concerning
I Corinthians 13: 8-10. (8) Charity (love) never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; wheather there be tongues, they shall cease; where there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. (9) For we know it part, and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect (Jesus Christ) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
However let me explain why. Verse 8 Today we need (part) knowledge of God’s Word (part) knowledge of just about everything, When Jesus Christ comes we will be like him. We’ll have all the knowledge we need.
Today there are many language (part) in the world. When Jesus Christ comes we will be like him, in my mind probably will be speaking Arabic. All will be of one language.
Wheather there be prophecies (part) by forthtelling or foretelling,
When Jesus Christ comes we will be like him, no need of prophecy.
My point is, when Jesus Christ comes then and only then will these thing cease. Titus 2:11-14 reference is out of context.
(baptizing them (in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) added by the translators not in the Hebrew Scriptures.
I really appreciate all your articles and all that you do for God’s Word.
I appreciate the work that you put into bringing the message forth to all.
Sincerely, William
P.S. Today, on another Web site I was reading about the broken body and the shead blood in preparation for communion Easter Sunday and it appals me how many Churches do not know or teach the true meaning of the broken body. These individuals do not understand 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 correctly.
@William Thanks for your continued interested on this topic, William.
I’m sorry to have offered 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 as evidence for my position without offering an explanation. I can appreciate your interpretation of Paul’s remarks about spiritual gifts in that passage – many others share in your belief – but I believe the scriptural context and timeframe help to clarify exactly what Paul was talking about. More so than his other writings, the Apostle Paul dedicates a significant amount of time addresses issues related to the assembly in his first letter to the Corinthian church. Starting in 1 Corinthians 11:17 and continuing through the 14th chapter, his main concern is with the activities of our assemblies (a.k.a. “church service”). The latter half of chapter 11 addresses the Communion and chapters 12 and 14 consider the uses of miraculous spiritual gifts. It’s not surprising then that chapter 13, tucked in between two important chapters on the manifestations of the Spirit, also gives us some important information about the uses of miraculous spiritual gifts. Given the context, his reference to tongues (languages), knowledge, and prophesy is not just about those things in general, but specifically the miraculous manifestations of the Spirit that he’s been addressing. He says these manifestations would cease when “that which is perfect (or complete) is come”. What was the church without at that time that we have today? The complete Bible. I believe that as the Church matured through the 1st century and the written word neared its completion the need for spiritually gifts to fill in the missing information eventually disappeared.
Other evidence from the New Testament confirms that these special gifts must have disappeared sometime in the early church. In Acts 8:18, Simon rightly observed, “that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given…” Even though Phillip was performing miracles (Acts 8:5-7) it was the Apostles who had to come and give the people these gifts by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17). Only the Apostles of Jesus Christ have ever had the ability to pass on miraculous manifestations of the Spirit. Because there are no apostles today we have to conclude there are no miraculous gifts today.
Given the purpose of spiritual gifts it makes sense that the need for these gifts passed away. Hebrews 2:3-4 explains, “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” These gifts confirmed the gospel and proved the legitimacy of Christ in the absence of the complete Bible; however, God has always wanted our faith to be set on the written Word. For example, John 20:31, “these are written that you may believe…” Also in Luke 1:3-4, “it seemed good to me […] to write to you an orderly account[…] that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.” Given all these passages we logically conclude that God wants out faith today to rest on the written Word of God, not the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.
There is more that could be said, but I hope I’ve given you sufficient food for thought. I’ll look forward to your comments! For more information on this subject check out this article: http://www.onetruechurch.net/holy-spirit/gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/#comment-677